The Chosen One
by BillieBruce
Summary: What if Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy differently? What if instead of setting out to kill Harry, he began the hunt for Neville? Neville Longbottom is the Boy-Who-Lived, but how different would Harry's life really be?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Sweetheart," Lily's face peered around the door. "Harry, sweetheart, it's time to get up."

Harry Potter rolled over and looked up at his mum. He didn't want to get up, he was comfortable and had been enjoying his sleep. But then Harry saw the proud, excited look in the green eyes that were so similar to his own and remembered; today was the day. He put on his glasses and jumped out of bed, he was going to Hogwarts today!

"Oh mum, can you believe it?" Harry grinned, throwing himself at her. "By tonight, I'll be in Gryffindor tower!"

Harry had no doubts that he would follow in his parents' footsteps, becoming a part of Gryffindor House just as they had done but there was still a little, worried niggle at the back of his mind.

"Your father certainly hopes so!" His mum laughed, Harry's father had been telling him for weeks now that he had better not be in Slytherin or he would be disowned.

"Come on, sweetheart, breakfast is ready and there's a surprise for you in the kitchen!"

Harry followed his mother downstairs and found none other than his godfather standing in the kitchen.

"Sirius!" He shouted, jumping into the tall man's open arms.

"Hello, Harry. How's our little Gryffindor-to-be?" Sirius asked, putting him down and ruffling his already messed up black hair.

"Excited. Nervous." Harry replied honestly, glad that his father wasn't presently in the room. He always felt that he could tell Sirius the truth, he would not judge him or be mean, unless a little teasing counted as being mean. Sirius was a kind man, who could always be relied upon to support Harry and provide him with excellent advice, be it how to get the girl or how to win a magical duel.

Magical. That's what Harry and his family were, Sirius included. Harry Potter was a wizard, someone who could do magic. He had grown up knowing this and so was used to the idea he entirely. He did not find it at all strange but knew that some people in the world believed that magic was just a fairytale, make believe. If only they knew the truth, he thought.

Although Harry had grown up as a wizard in the wizarding world, he also knew a lot about the Muggle world; Muggles were ordinary people who did not use magic. The reason that Harry knew a lot about the Muggle world was because his maternal grandparents were Muggles, as was his aunt; not that he had ever spoken to his Aunt Petunia or her family. Lily Potter had been raised as a Muggle until she received her acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of eleven. Harry's grandparents had been exceedingly proud of their wonderful daughter but Petunia had been less pleased, something which had always caused Lily great upset.

"Don't worry, Harry. As long as you aren't in Slytherin, you will be fine!" Sirius chuckled but he quickly stopped as he saw the worried look in his godson's eye that a fake smile could not quite manage to disguise. "We'll be back in a minute, Lily, I just want to show Harry something."

"Sirius! Can't it wait?" Lily demanded, sounding less than happy. She was standing in front a frying pan as it began to dish up a good breakfast of bacon and eggs.

"Won't be a moment," Sirius said, pulling Harry from the room before his mother could object again. Sirius had never really had much concern for the orders of other people.

Once they were out in the hall and sat comfortably on the stairs, Sirius turned to his godson. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry replied, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Talk to me, Harry, what are you worried about? Is this because of James and the jokes about Slytherin?" Harry nodded slowly, not really wanting to admit it but also not wanting to lie to Sirius.

"Don't worry, your father is kidding. Well, he's not but that's not really the point." Harry laughed at Sirius' honesty. "James hates Slytherin, mainly because of the people who were in that house when we were at school. They were all nasty, arrogant, wannabe Death Eaters."

Death Eaters were the henchmen of the darkest wizard of all time, Voldemort. Harry knew all about the Dark Lord, his parents' battle against the wizard and the story of the boy who lived, the one who was responsible for Voldemort's demise.

"I know, but what if I get put into Slytherin?" Harry sighed in despair. HE desperately wanted to be like his father, in more than just looks, and did not want to disappoint him, but he also knew that he could not choose which house he joined. The Sorting Hat would be responsible for choosing his house and if it chose Slytherin… Harry shrugged and removed the thought from his mind; he didn't particularly want to think about what might happen then.

"If you are, which is very unlikely, then you will be the best Slytherin student that Hogwarts has ever seen."

"But Dad-"

"Your father will be proud of you for you achievements no matter which house you belong to. I can promise you that, Harry."

Harry nodded, Sirius always managed to make it all okay.

"Now shall we go through and enjoy your last morning with your parents or are we going to sit out here all day?"

The pair re-entered the kitchen but not before Sirius gave his godson a large, warm hug.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you excited, Harry?" Lily asked her son before the family left their home in Godric's Hollow.  
"Yeah, it's going to be lots of fun."  
The Potters and Sirius intended to travel by flu network to The Leaky Cauldron, where they would meet up with the Weasleys and then go on to Platform 9 and 3/4. Mr and Mrs Weasley had been friends with Harry's parents since before he had been born. They had seven children; six boys and one girl. Their youngest son, Ron, was Harry's best friend.  
Harry had travelled by flu network many times before, but this time he was nervous. Not because he didn't know what to do, or because he was afraid he might make a mistake, Harry had done that was he was nine and vowed to always speak clearly from them onwards. No, Harry was nervous because he was finally going to Hogwarts. However, that also meant that he was leaving home, leaving his parents, putting his entire future in the hands of a hat and praying that he would manage to make friends.

"Harry, dear!" Mrs Weasley called as he arrived in the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. She pulled him tight against her and wrapped her arms around his thin frame.  
His parents were already there and Sirius was to follow Harry. Harry quickly stepped back from Mrs Weasley and caught his best friend's eye.  
"Alright, Harry?" Ron grinned.  
"Yeah, not bad. Yourself?"  
"Bloody excited!"  
"Language, Ronald!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed. It was a wonder Mrs Weasley hadn't given up on telling him off bearing in mind the regularity with which he used the word bloody.  
Ron rolled his eyes and the two friends wandered a little way away from their parents, instead sitting at a small table in the corner of the pub.  
"So, did you hear who'll be in our year?" Ron asked, the excitement in his voice making it clear that this wasn't just a question sprung from general curiosity.  
"I don't know, who?" Harry didn't bother attempting to guess.  
"Neville Longbottom," Ron said, grinning.  
"Really?" Harry's mouth gaped. "Is he actually going to be in our year? Wow!"  
"I know, right."  
Harry and Ron sat talking about the upcoming day, what house they wanted to be in, the boy who lived and everything Hogwarts related.  
"Hi, Harry." Ron's sister mumbled quietly.  
"Hello, Ginny. How are you?" Harry replied with a smile.  
"I'm fine thanks, are you excited for today?"  
"Yeah, I am pretty excited."  
"I wish I could come."  
"Shove off, Ginny, go and moan about it to mum," Ron complained. When she had gone, looking very upset, Ron turned to his friend. "She's been moaning about it all summer, it's bloody annoying!"  
Harry frowned, feeling partly sympathetic for his friend but also for Ginny. He knew the excitement that came with going to Hogwarts but he also knew that it must feel awful for her to be the only child not at Hogwarts.  
"Right then, let's go." Mrs Weasley called, gathering everyone together.  
Harry's father had organised a couple of black cars for the two families to travel in which appeared to be quite small but that were in fact rather large and spacious inside.  
"Oh, James." Lily smiled to her husband. "I can't believe our little boy is going off to Hogwarts already, can you?"  
"Don't worry, Evans." The old nickname had stuck despite the fact that Lily had now been a Potter for many years. "He's going to be the second best wizard that school has ever seen!"  
"Second, eh, Dad?" Harry grinned. "Would you be the first by any chance?"  
"Well of course."  
"Shut up, James! Your going to be way better than your father, Harry. And not just because your modest!" Sirius grinned.  
Harry smiled as a friendly argument broke out between the three adults. He could not have wished for a better, happier family and wondered where he would be without them.  
"I love you, Harry." Lily said unexpectedly, putting her arms around her son and kissing the top of his messy black hair.  
"I love you too, Mum." Harry smiled.  
A few moments later, they had arrived at Kings Cross Station where they all piled out of the cars.  
"The place is packed with Muggles today." Lily commented to Mrs Weasley. "Oh well, platform nine and three quarters this way."  
"Okay, Harry." James said as they arrived at the barrier to the magical platform. "We'll do it together."  
Harry smiled as his parents stood either side of him. The three of them pushed his large trolley and ran towards the wall between platforms nine and ten.


End file.
